


For You

by TaraHarkon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Eighth Year, Post-War, Potioneer Draco Malfoy, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 01:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5228741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Eighth Year and Draco Malfoy starts to atone for his crimes as best he can. And what more Slytherin way to do it than by helping the girl he's liked for years?</p>
            </blockquote>





	For You

Draco fiddled with the vial in his pocket uncertainly as he approached her. The eighth year tower was House-less officially, but that didn't mean that everyone was accepting of the Slytherins in their midst, or the former Death Eater. He had waited until Potter and Weasley had gone outside to go for a fly around before he'd started the inexorable walk towards the couch by the fireplace, towards the veritable fortress of books there.  
"Excuse me...Granger, are you busy? Er...do you have a moment to spare?"  
Hermione looked up from her schoolwork and then set her quill down when she saw who it was.  
"What is it, Malfoy?"  
For a moment, he wanted to turn, to forget all about this and just go. But he didn't. He didn't sit either, though he wanted to do that nearly as much.   
“I made a salve for you. For..." He paused, uncharacteristically uncertain. "For what my aunt did." Then he held out the little vial and when she didn't immediately take it, he set it on the table beside her books. "It is to be applied topically. Once a day until it runs out. The...scars...should heal just fine then."  
Then he fled. There was no other word for it. He fled.

* * *

 

   
Several weeks passed and Draco had kept his head down as much as he could. He went to class and did his work. Nothing more, nothing less. Today, though, today was a gorgeous day and he needed to go out into the sunlight at least for a while. Stepping out onto the grounds with his book bag over one shoulder, he resolved to find somewhere quiet and get some studying done. Moments later, he heard laughter and turned. There they were, the Golden Trio of Gryffindors. A scowl crossed his face and he started to turn away. Then he heard her voice.  
“Go on ahead, I’ll catch up in a moment. I just need to…I forgot something.”  
The excuse was feeble, but the other two didn’t seem to notice. Potter and Weasley carried on towards Hagrid’s hut like it was nothing. Hermione didn’t turn back or towards the castle, she came over to Draco like a promise. She was smiling, which was something new in his life.   
“I wanted to say thank you.”  
For a moment, he wasn’t sure what she was talking about, his mind scrambling to assimilate this concept of the two of them speaking civilly. Then he noticed it. She was in short sleeves. The scars were nearly healed. When he didn’t respond, she started to turn away.  
“You’re welcome.” He blurted. “It. It was the least I could do.”  
Another smile crossed her face, just for him, though this one was a bit surprised.  
“But still, you didn’t have to. And it’s worked wonders.”  
He longed to tell the truth, that he did have to. That if he didn’t do something, the sound of her screaming was going to haunt his mind forever. To tell her just how he’d felt since third year when she’d socked him in the face, and hadn’t he deserved that? He let a small smile cross his face instead.  
“If you need any more, come to me and I’ll teach you the recipe.”

 


End file.
